Leaving the Scene of a Crash in Colorado
Colorado's crash-scene laws distinguish injury, serious bodily injury, death, damage to an attended vehicle, unattended property and reporting duties. “Leaving the scene” is not one offense with one penalty. This page summarizes selected state provisions in effect on September 7, 2026; it is not a checklist for responding to a crash or a determination about an individual charge.
Injury and death are separate statutory branches
C.R.S. § 42-4-1601 addresses a driver directly involved in a crash resulting in injury, serious bodily injury or death. It imposes scene-stopping and remaining requirements tied to the information-and-assistance provisions of § 42-4-1603(1). Section 1601(1.5) separately addresses departure for reporting after the specified requirements have been fulfilled. A short label such as “hit and run” does not reproduce all of those conditions. C.R.S. § 42-4-1601(1)-(1.5)
The statute classifies violations according to the crash result:
| Branch under § 42-4-1601(2) | Classification |
|---|---|
| Injury, without the serious-bodily-injury or death branch | Class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense |
| Serious bodily injury | Class 4 felony |
| Death | Class 3 felony |
These are classifications of violations of the section, not a statement that every injury crash establishes an offense. “Injury” and “serious bodily injury” have statutory definitions; the latter is not simply another phrase for any injury. This overview does not determine medical facts, every element of an offense or an applicable sentence. Classification and definitions
Property-damage provisions depend on what was damaged
Section 42-4-1602(1) concerns a driver directly involved in a crash resulting only in damage to a vehicle being driven or attended by a person. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense. Subsection (2) contains a separate relocation provision for crashes on the traveled portion, median or ramp of a divided highway when each involved vehicle can be safely driven. That provision is why an unqualified statement that every vehicle movement constitutes leaving the scene would be inaccurate. C.R.S. § 42-4-1602
Section 42-4-1604 instead addresses damage to an unattended vehicle or other unattended property, with its own notice and reporting provisions. It expressly excludes highway fixtures and traffic-control devices, which fall under § 42-4-1605. The latter concerns a crash resulting only in damage to those fixtures or devices upon or adjacent to a highway. Both sections classify violations as class 2 misdemeanor traffic offenses. Unattended property · Highway fixtures and devices
Reporting is not the same statutory duty
Section 42-4-1603 concerns notice, information and assistance in the circumstances it identifies. Section 42-4-1606(1) separately addresses driver notice to police after a traffic crash involving injury, serious bodily injury, death or any property damage, following the requirements it references. Section 1606(6) classifies violations as class 2 misdemeanor traffic offenses. Information and assistance · Reporting provision
The limited $1,000 property-damage provision in § 1606(4)(b) concerns an officer's investigation and reporting obligations. It is not a $1,000 minimum in the driver's notice provision. This page does not reproduce a reporting form, a response timeline or instructions about communications with police. C.R.S. § 42-4-1606(4)(b)
Classification, sentencing and licensing are different questions
The misdemeanor and felony branches do not share one sentencing range. Section 42-4-1601(3) also directs driver-license revocation upon conviction under that section; a pending allegation is not the same as that conviction. This page does not calculate revocation duration, commercial-license consequences, insurance coverage or civil liability. The Traffic Violations Index contains separate qualified references for the different crash-related provisions. License provision
General questions
Is every leaving-the-scene charge a felony?
No. The statutory branches include misdemeanor traffic offenses and felonies, with different conditions and classifications.
Are injury and serious bodily injury interchangeable?
No. Section 1601 defines them separately and assigns different classifications to its injury and serious-bodily-injury branches.
Are unattended property and highway fixtures covered by the same section?
No. Section 1604 expressly separates the highway-fixture and traffic-control-device subject addressed by section 1605.
Does the $1,000 provision create a minimum damage amount for driver reporting?
No. That limited provision concerns officer investigation and reporting duties, not a minimum damage amount in section 1606(1).
Does this page determine a sentence or license outcome?
No. It distinguishes statutory subjects and classifications, not the outcome of an individual matter.
Related information
Traffic Tickets · Careless Driving · License & DMV
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